And Maybe The Wind Is Your Goodbye
by SomethingMoreCreative
Summary: Annabeth is a cheerleader, and there's certain guys that she's supposed to date, right? Maybe that's why it's such a shock when she starts dating Percy Jackson. Or, the one where Annabeth and Percy fall in love, and everything is perfect, until it's not. (And then maybe it's perfect in a different way.) Written for pjowriters. Dedicated to Bella. Complete.


**A/N: This is written for pjowriters on tumblr. If you're not following us, then make sure that you do! The link is on my profile if you need it. I am also dedicating this to my wonderful friend, Bella, who gave me the cute details that make up this story. Thank you so much, bby. I don't know what I would do without you! **

**This fic is complete, and I didn't mean for it to get this sad. Oops. If you want to talk, come over to my tumblr and leave me an ask!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Percy Jackson and the Olympians, __The Heroes of Olympus, _or anything else that you may recognize. **

_-3292015-_

Annabeth Chase has a date tonight. Everyone at school is talking about it.

It's probably because she has a date with none other than Percy Jackson.

Annabeth is a cheerleader, but she's not just a cheerleader, no, she's the captain. She's supposed to date a guy on the football or basketball team. She wears dresses and skirts to school. She's supposed to date a guy that wears button down shirts and khakis. She's supposed to date the good guys.

That's why it's such a surprise that she's going on a date with _Percy Jackson. _

He doesn't play football or basketball. He doesn't wear button down shirts (that aren't black), and he doesn't wear khaki pants. Instead, he dresses like black is the only color in the rainbow and wears that same shoes that he's always worn—black Vans with black laces. His black hair is cut short, even though he went through a phase where it was so long that it covered his eyebrows and sea green eyes.

A lot of people wonder why she has suddenly taken an interest in him, but they can't be more wrong. You see, Annabeth has always watched him. He's always been on her radar, and she has always paid attention to what was going on with him.

(She still knows his mom from when his little sister had a tumble class with Annabeth, and gah, how weird is that?)

She just didn't realized that she actually, sort of, _maybe _liked him until a few weeks ago.

He was in her AP Biology class. Their seating chart was changed, and Percy Jackson ended up sitting next to her at their lab bench. She had been put out at first because he was known for not caring about his grades and now she was going to have to do all the work like usual, but then their teacher had dropped their last papers onto their desk, and Annabeth had hurried to pick up her jaw when she saw that his grade was just a few points underneath hers. When he had seen that she noticed, he had swept the paper away and stuffed it into his binder. He hadn't looked at her again that day.

But the next day, he finally said something to her. Her eyes widened and she raised an eyebrow when she realized that he was actually talking to her in that really low and deep voice. He had looked confused at why she looked so confused, and she had told him that she was surprised that he was actually talking to her. He had laughed then, and pretty soon, he was talking to her whenever they were sitting at their table.

He never said anything when they passed each other in the hallway though. Then one day when he walked by her locker where she was standing with her friends, she said hi from her spot. He had looked over at her and smirked lightly, greeting her with his stupidly deep voice.

After that, he started walking her to her next class after Biology. Then, she found him waiting at her locker after school so he could walk with her to her car. Annabeth thought it was really nice, and one day when he was telling her a story about his sister, she decided that she _really _liked him.

And maybe he really liked her too because one day the following week, they were standing at her car when Percy asked her out on a date.

She had never seen him that nervous. His voice had wobbled, and he had been shifting his weight back and forth on his feet before the question was out of his mouth. His eyes were wide when she agreed, and she had pressed a light kiss to his cheek before getting into her car and waving a goodbye. Annabeth smiled at the stupid grin that he had been wearing as he sauntered away.

Percy falls into step beside her in the hallway, breaking her out of her thoughts when he says, "Are you aware that the entire school is talking about our date tonight?"

Annabeth smiles and hums thoughtfully, "Then it better be one hell of a date, huh?"

He's laughing when she walks into her math class and leaves him in the hallway.

Ω

He picks her up at five that afternoon. He knocks on her front door, and Annabeth runs out onto the porch a few seconds later, shouting a goodbye to her dad who probably doesn't hear her through his study door.

Percy smiles when he sees her, "You look really pretty, Annabeth."

She's wearing a blue dress (not because he told her that it was his favorite color once, just shut up) with a pair of black heels. Her dress has sleeves on it, but she grabbed a light jacket before she ran out of the door. She had used a curling iron to re-curl her hair because it always looked flat after she blow-dried it, and her lip gloss is a light pink color that tastes like strawberries.

(Now she's wearing a light blush too, but maybe he doesn't notice.)

"Thanks," she says as she eyes his motorcycle that sits on the curb by the sidewalk. She wonders if it would have been better to wear pants instead, but by the way that Percy's eyes had lingered on her legs, she decides against it. "Where are we going?"

He smirks and turns to walk down the sidewalk, "It's a surprise."

Annabeth rolls her eyes but follows after him anyway.

He hands her his helmet and helps her put it on even though she's pretty sure that he knows that she can do it by herself.

He climbs on the motorcycle and waits for her, studying her with those green eyes. He must catch her hesitation because he says, "You coming?"

Annabeth throws her leg across the seat and wraps her arms around Percy's middle. She thinks that he's laughing, but she's smiling too much to notice.

Ω

Percy finally slows down and pulls into a back parking lot. They are somewhere downtown, but Annabeth doesn't recognize any of the buildings. Probably because she would never come down here.

They walk down the sidewalk, threading through a few crowds. Percy is very close to her, but she's actually really glad because there are a few too many people looking at her like they know that she doesn't belong here.

"Do you like to dance?" Percy asks suddenly.

She looks up at him, "I've never been."

He grins and wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her into the door of a bar. The security guard must know him because he doesn't ask for their IDs, even though they are clearly underage, and that thought doesn't exactly comfort her.

This bar is definitely a place that Annabeth would never go to. It's dark and filled with people. There is a stage set up with a live band playing loud music, and the crowd is so thick that she can barely breathe. Toward the back, there are people dancing, and Percy pulls her right into the middle of them before he grins down at her and slips both of his hands to her hips.

Her heart is beating really fast, but she's having too much fun so she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls herself closer, letting him lead both of them.

The music is so loud, and Annabeth doesn't really know how long they spend in the crowd, pressed up against each other. Eventually, she hears Percy speaking in her ear, and she finds herself nodding when he asks if she's ready to go. She's almost sad when Percy pulls his hands away from her hips, but he snakes an arm around her waist and keeps their sides pressed together as he leads them outside.

The air outside is cold, and Annabeth feels herself relax. She had gotten kind of hot in the bar, and the dancing hadn't helped.

"Hungry?" Percy asks, leading her down the street. The sun set a few hours ago, and there are less people on the street now.

She nods, "Yeah."

"I know a place," he says before pulling her back to his motorcycle. This time, he lets her put the helmet on by herself, and she swings her leg over the seat and settles behind him without hesitation. She thinks that Percy is smiling so she pinches his side until he laughs.

Percy drives for a long time, and she keeps her arms wrapped around his waist while the wind blows over her face.

Finally, they pull into an almost empty parking lot, and Percy helps her off before leading her inside a small diner. An older woman wearing an apron waves and calls out a greeting to Percy, and he smiles back before leading Annabeth to a booth by a window. They scoot into opposite sides of the booth, and when they're settled, Annabeth raises an eyebrow.

The older woman walks over to them and smiles. She says, "Well, Percy, how did you get this beautiful girl to follow you around?"

Percy laughs and gives Annabeth a gorgeously crooked smile, and she can't help it anymore. She _really really _likes him. He says, "I'm not sure. I think I just got lucky."

"I bet you did," the older woman says. "What can I get for you kids?"

Percy doesn't even look at her. Instead, he says, "Just two orders of pancakes and one strawberry shake with two straws."

Their waitress smiles again before walking away and heading into the kitchen.

"That okay?" Percy asks.

She nods and smiles lightly, "I'm guessing you come here a lot?"

"My mom used to work here before she married my stepdad," Percy says.

"Mr. Blofis, right?" Annabeth knows she's right, but she thinks it might be less awkward if she hears it from Percy too.

He nods, "Yeah."

There's something on his face and in his voice that makes her wonder what he's thinking. "But you don't like him?"

Percy snaps his neck up to look at her and shakes his head, "No. I like him, and my mom loves him. He's really nice."

"But…?"

He's staring at her, "My mom was married to someone else before Paul. He wasn't a good guy."

She doesn't like the dark look in his eyes, and she thinks that it's a story for another time and another place, so she says, "Strawberry is my favorite."

He grins again, "It is?"

"Yeah, it's the only lip gloss I can stand to wear."

And she shouldn't have said that because now Percy keeps glancing down at her lips, and she just wants to lean over the table and grab him by the collar of his leather jacket and—

"Here you go, kids," their waitress says happily, sliding down two plates of pancakes and their strawberry shake onto the table between them. Then she turns to smile at Annabeth. "And sweetheart, if he gives you any trouble, you just let me know and we can straighten it out."

Annabeth laughs at the indignant huff that Percy lets out before she smiles up at the older woman, "I will. Thank you."

She smiles and laughs before walking to another table to take their order.

When Annabeth looks back over to Percy, he's watching her and eating his pancakes at the same time. She raises an eyebrow at him, but doesn't say anything.

Percy asks her a few questions while they eat, just about her favorite food or movie or what kind of music she listens to. She answers all of his questions, but he always asks another before she can ask any about him.

It's not until Percy has shoved their plates out of the way, and they are both leaning over the table and drinking from the milkshake until he asks about her parents.

She must freeze because then Percy is rushing to tell her that it's okay and she doesn't have to answer.

"No," she says, clearing her throat and blinking a few times. "It's fine. Um, my mom died a few years ago, and my dad works a lot. I don't really see him that much. I think that it makes him sad to look at me because everybody says that I look just like her."

And she hadn't meant to say that. She's never even told anyone that before.

Percy's gaze is soft, and he sets one of his hands on top of the table, offering it to her and smiling lightly when she weaves her fingers with his. His hand is warm, and she doesn't want to let go.

His voice is just as soft as his eyes when he says, "I think you're beautiful, Annabeth."

"You do?" Her voice and eyes are _not _watering. No, they are not.

"Yeah," he says before he slides out of the booth and offers Annabeth his other hand to pull her up. "I do."

She blinks, "Thank you."

Percy sends her another smile and calls out a goodbye to their waitress as they walk out of the diner and head to his motorcycle.

Annabeth climbs on before Percy this time, and she lets him adjust the helmet for her.

Ω

They end up sitting on Percy's motorcycle at the end of the road. The stars are bright above their heads, and the forest is quiet. She can hear the gentle waves of the lake lapping against the shore a few yards away.

Percy is sitting straight ahead like normal, but he has pulled Annabeth around to the front of the motorcycle to sit in front of him. Her legs are loosely wrapped around his waist, and her dress is bunched up around her hips. She really doesn't care about that because Percy has been staring at her eyes and laughing and talking all night, and she doesn't want to go home. They're holding hands in between their bodies, and honestly, this is the best date that she's ever been on.

"Really?" Percy asks, his eyes lighting up.

Oops. She hadn't meant to say that out loud.

She smiles and nods anyway, "Yeah. I'm really glad that you asked me."

"Me too," he says, pulling her just a bit closer to him.

She's still smiling, and she leans closer to him until her nose bumps into his. He makes a surprised sound, but one of his hands slides up her back and settles into her hair.

"Annabeth," Percy's voice is rough, but his green eyes are still sharp and open.

"Yeah?"

He pauses before he says, "I really want to kiss you."

Her smile is even brighter now, "Then kiss me."

So Percy smiles again and leans forward until his lips are gently brushing against hers.

When he pulls back a few minutes later, Annabeth is smiling and laughing, pushing her face against his to try and calm down. This is too perfect. With the stars and Percy—everything is perfect.

They spend a few more hours underneath the stars, and then Annabeth holds onto Percy while he drives them home.

Ω

They start dating that night. Annabeth is Percy's girlfriend, and Percy is Annabeth's boyfriend. They go on dates, they hold hands in the hallways at school, and Percy comes to the football games to watch her cheer. It's nice. Annabeth isn't really used to having anyone in her life that wants to know what she's doing and how she feels, but it's really nice.

She really likes him too. As they spend more time together, Annabeth starts to realize that she wouldn't mind spending the rest of her life with him, and if that isn't the scariest thing that she's ever thought about then she doesn't know what is.

She's just getting out of the shower when she hears her phone ringing. Annabeth dashes back to her room wrapped up in her towel so she can scoop her phone off of her bed and press it to her ear.

"Hello?" She says.

"Hey."

"Hi," Annabeth flops down onto her bed, curling on her side. "What are you doing?"

Percy hums, "I'm wondering what you're doing."

"I just got out of the shower, and I'm about to start my homework."

"Hmm. I was actually wondering if you wanted to watch a movie, but you sound like you're busy," he says. Annabeth can almost hear the frown in his voice.

She laughs, "I can't watch a movie, but you can come watch me do homework. Are we still on for tomorrow night?"

"Well of course we are, Miss Chase," he says. His voice is smooth. "But don't worry about having to entertain me. I'll just stay here and play with Hannah."

"Okay," she murmurs. "But just so you know I'm lying in bed in a towel."

_"Fuck, _Annabeth," Percy curses softly.

She laughs again, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Percy groans through the phone, but she can hear him laughing. "Bye, Annabeth."

Ω

They've been dating for six months now, and Annabeth is sitting on a blanket with Percy, holding his hand and telling him about her day. They're in the same place where they had their very first date, and the stars are just as bright as they were that night.

Her relationship with Percy is perfect. Of course, they fight a lot, but then they make up with a kiss to her forehead and a hand on his bicep. They talk like best friends, and they hang out together almost every day.

And the thing is—she loves him. She wants to spend the rest of her life with him. She thinks that he knows, but she's been waiting for the perfect moment to tell him.

(She's a little head over heels with this guy, just _shut up_.)

"Annabeth," Percy murmurs when she finishes telling him about cheer practice. He's leaning closer to her, and his green eyes are wide.

Suddenly, she's afraid of what he's going to say. Her heart is beating fast, and it kind of feels like she's going to throw up now. She can't—

"Yes?" She whispers.

One of his hands slips up to cup her cheek, and his voice is so soft that Annabeth almost misses it when he whispers, "I love you."

She stills, and her mouth drops open because she wasn't expecting him to say that. Sure, she knows that her dad loves her, but it had been a long time since she had heard him say it. It had been a long time since she had heard _anyone _say that they loved her.

And… it was _really _nice to hear. Especially from Percy just because she loved him so much too.

Her breath is short, but she manages to say it back to him before she jerks his lips to hers.

Then Annabeth is pulling him down so she's lying on her back against the ground. Percy hovers over her, pressing kisses all over her face and neck, and they both just keep whispering _I love you, I love you, I love you. _

She pushes Percy's shirt over his head.

He pulls back enough so he can see her face. His eyebrows are scrunched together, but his pupils are blown wide. He's staring at her, and his lips are swollen.

"Annabeth," Percy breathes. His hair is sticking up in different directions, and Annabeth wishes that he would stop talking because she just wants to kiss him. "Are you sure?"

She nods and pulls him back down to her lips.

Percy asks her if it's okay a million times, but she doesn't change her mind. She wants him, and she loves him.

After they finish, Annabeth lays with her head on Percy's chest and her limbs wrapped around him. She's curled into his side, and she's running her fingertips over his bare chest. They're both smiling, and Percy is running his hand over her back.

"Hey," Percy murmurs after a while. "I love you."

She kisses him again, "I love you too."

Ω

It's three weeks until graduation, and Annabeth has been freaking out about her valedictorian speech since she found out that she was going to give it. She already has it written of course, but that doesn't mean that she can't be nervous.

Right now though, she's riding on the back of Percy's motorcycle with her arms wrapped around him. He had dragged her out of her room at home and put her on the bike and started driving to keep her from stressing too much. He's just been driving the whole time, and Annabeth recognizes the familiar road, knowing that they're going to the diner to share a strawberry shake and then down to the lake.

They've been together for just under two years now, and everything is perfect.

Until it's not.

They're on their way home from a perfect afternoon, and Annabeth is curled around Percy, holding on tight and smiling against his back.

"Annabeth!" Percy yells over the wind.

"Yeah?" She yells back.

"I love you!"

She's confused, but she's still smiling. "I love you too, but what—?"

Then something is wrong because there are a lot of different sounds at once, and then Percy is standing up and it feels like they're falling over and—

Annabeth hits the pavement _hard _and rolls for what feels like forever. When she finally stills and flops over on her stomach, her head is really hurting from where her helmet bounced against the ground, and her eyes are already closing.

Ω

She wakes up in the hospital with a dizzying headache and the urge to throw up. The room is spinning, and she blinks to try and get it to stop.

"Annabeth," someone is saying. "Annabeth, you're okay."

She blinks again, and that's when she focuses on her dad leaning over her. He's wearing a button down shirt and a tie, but the collar and tie are both loose like he's pulled at them too much. His eyes are rimmed with red, and he looks really tired.

"Dad?" She says, but her voice is hoarse.

"Annabeth," he says again. "You're okay. You were in an accident, and you're in the hospital."

At his words, everything comes rushing back. They were on their way home yesterday and… they were in an accident? A motorcycle accident? What happened? Was everyone okay? What—?

Wait. _Where was Percy?_

"Dad," she says again, forcing herself to look up at him. "Where's Percy?"

He doesn't answer, and Annabeth starts screaming.

Ω

The funeral is two days later. Annabeth is out of the hospital, and she has been holding Sally's hand since she got here a few hours ago.

Apparently, a car had ran a red light at the last minute, and Percy hadn't been able to swerve to avoid it in time. He had forgotten his helmet that day, so Annabeth had been wearing the only one that he had brought. Sally told her that he had died right then. She also told her that Annabeth would have died if she hadn't been wearing that helmet.

She wishes she could go back in time and make Percy wear it instead. She wishes she could jerk it off at the last minute and hold on to him tighter than she did. She wishes that they would have stayed at the lake longer so they would have avoided that car at the red light.

She wishes she was dead too. She can't handle this.

Percy is gone, and he should have taken her with him.

Ω

Annabeth rewrites her graduation speech, and she barely finishes it before she's a crying mess, just like the rest of her classmates.

Ω

She's sitting at the lake with a strawberry milkshake from the diner, wrapped up in Percy's leather jacket and the blanket that they always brought with them. Sally let Annabeth keep both of them, along with a few of his t-shirts and one of his notebooks. Sometimes, when she's feeling really bad, she goes over to Sally's and sits in his bedroom by the window where they used to listen to music until she can breathe again. If she's feeling worse than that, she grabs the blanket and his jacket before getting in the car and driving to their spot.

Today is a really bad day.

It's been barely three months, and Annabeth is supposed to be leaving for college in two weeks. She's got all of her stuff packed up and ready to go.

Percy was supposed to be going with her. He was going to be a marine biologist.

"Percy," Annabeth whispers suddenly, burying her face against her knees. "How am I supposed to do this without you?"

He doesn't answer (of _course _he doesn't answer), and Annabeth sits in her spot and cries until the stars light up the sky and her dad calls her and asks her to come home.

Ω

She heals slowly.

It takes the better part of five years, but eventually she can think his name without crying. She can brush past his jacket in her closet with a fond smile instead of a frown and a shove.

She ends up marrying her best friend from college. His name is Jason, and he had a fiancé that died in a plane crash. They bond over that at the beginning, but somewhere along the way, Annabeth falls in love with him. And really, Jason is good for her. He keeps her balanced, and she keeps him strong. They work together.

They have two kids. Their daughter is first, and they name her Piper after Jason's fiancé. She's got blonde curls just like Annabeth, and her blue eyes are always on her homework or the computer. Annabeth thinks that she's perfect. Their son is second just barely two years later, and he also has blonde hair. His gray eyes that match Annabeth's are always focused on some sport, and lately, he's been picking up a guitar to play.

They name him Jackson.

Ω

When Jackson is old enough, Annabeth tells Jason that she wants to take him to meet someone.

They're lying in bed one morning when she mentions it. Jason seems to know what's she talking about immediately because he rolls over to face her and pulls her close.

"Is it weird that I was thinking the same thing about Piper?" Jason asks, a slight smile pulling at his lips.

Annabeth smiles then and gets out of bed to grab her laptop to order plane tickets for them. Once she finishes, she leans down to press a kiss to Jason's lips and whisper an _I love you _in his ear.

Ω

"Mom, why are we here?" Jackson asks, looking out of the window. His blonde hair is glinting in the sunlight that streams in through the window. "I thought Grandpa's house was the other way."

She nods at her son before smiling lightly, "Yeah, it is, but we're meeting some other people before we go see him."

"Oh," he says. "Why couldn't Dad and Piper come with us?"

"They're going somewhere else," she says. "Dad wanted Piper to meet someone too. They're getting home a day after us."

Jackson is almost fourteen now, and Annabeth feels _old. _When she gets up and looks in the mirror in the mornings, she wonders where all the time went.

It's rare that she comes back to her hometown. Most of the time, her dad flies up to stay with them for the holidays. He knows that she doesn't really like to come back here that much, so he never makes it a big deal. Since Jackson and Piper have been born, they've been here a few times, but not many.

Annabeth makes the familiar drive and pulls into their driveway. Their house looks just like it did when she was a teenager, and when Hannah opens the door, Annabeth feels even older.

She kept in touch with Sally over the years, and she's met up with her a few times since she moved. It's gotten easier, and Sally, Paul, and Hannah are all doing okay. Hannah is going to college now, but she's staying at home while she gets her degree. Annabeth is pretty sure that she's in medical school now, and she is _so_ proud of her.

"Annabeth?" Hannah asks in surprise. The shock is evident in her voice, but she's smiling.

"Hi, Hannah," Annabeth says with a smile. "You look great."

"Oh my god, you do too!" She smiles and pulls her in for a hug. "It's been too long!"

"I know," she agrees. "I won't stay away so long next time."

Before Hannah can say anything else, Annabeth hears, "Mom?"

Jackson is looking between her and Hannah. His eyes are narrowed like he's trying to figure out what's going on. Annabeth reaches out and wraps her arm around Jackson's shoulders before smiling back up at Hannah.

"Hannah," she says. "This is my son, Jackson."

She pauses, and Annabeth can see her reeling for a second before she manages to collect herself. Then she smiles, "Hi, Jackson. Um, Annabeth, Mom is in the kitchen. You remember, right?"

"I remember," she says with another smile.

"I would hang around, but I'm headed to the library to study," Hannah lurches forward again for another hug. "Call me sometime, Annabeth."

"Absolutely," she agrees. "Let me know if you need anything."

"I will, and it was great to meet you, Jackson," Hannah says before stepping past them and leaving the door open for them.

She steps inside slowly, and a thousand memories flood her mind. She can hear him talking, see him smiling, feel him holding her hand. She takes a deep breath.

"Mom?"

She stops in the hallway and turns to Jackson. He looks like someone has slapped him, and Annabeth suddenly feels bad for dragging him here out of the blue without explaining anything.

"Yeah, baby?" She asks. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just confused," he says, looking up at her with her own eyes. "What's going on?"

She smiles at him, "I'm going to explain everything, I promise. Just, be nice to these people, okay? They're really important to me."

Jackson nods seriously and grasps her hand as they walk toward the kitchen.

The memories are flooding Annabeth's mind now, and she feels herself smiling even though there are tears pricking her eyes.

"Sally?" Annabeth calls softly.

She's waiting for them in the kitchen, and Annabeth hugs her for a long time while Jackson stands at their sides. Sally looks a little older, but her brown eyes are still warm and she is still just as beautiful as she was when Percy first brought her back here to meet her officially.

When they finally pull away from each other, Annabeth puts her hand on Jackson's shoulder and pulls him forward. She smiles and says, "Sally, this is my son, Jackson."

Of course, Annabeth has told them about her family before, and she even invited them to her wedding. Maybe seeing Jackson actually makes it _real _though because Sally looks like someone took her breath away from her.

Sally tears up, and she uses one of her hands to brush away some of her tears before they fall. She looks over to Annabeth and whispers, "Thank you."

They don't say anything about Percy right then, but Annabeth can see everything in Sally's eyes. Instead, they eat cookies and talk about what's going on now. Sally talks to Jackson just like a grandmother would, and it makes Annabeth wonder what it would have been like.

Ω

Annabeth and Jackson stay at Sally's for a few hours before she drives over to the diner where Percy used to take her. Soon, they both have strawberry shakes in their hands, and they are sitting on top of their rental car at the lake.

"Jackson," Annabeth begins. "When I was sixteen, I met a guy named Percy. He went to my high school, and he asked me out on a date. He took me dancing, and then we stopped by the diner we just went to and had dinner. Then he brought me down here."

Her son is staring at her with a confused look on his face. "Mom, why are you telling me this?"

"I'm getting there," she says, reaching out to pat his arm. "Percy and I started dating that night, and we were together for nearly two years. About three weeks before we graduated high school, we were on our way home from here when we got into a motorcycle accident at a red light. I was wearing Percy's helmet, and when we got thrown off, he… he didn't make it. That was his mom and sister that we just met."

Jackson is staring at her with his jaw open and a sad expression on his face. He looks so upset that Annabeth has to look away. She keeps going. "Percy died that night, and I wasn't okay for a long time. That's why I brought you here. You're named after him."

Jackson is quiet for a long time before he says, "Mom? Did you love him?"

She nods, "Yeah. I would have married him."

"But you settled for Dad?"

"No!" She says immediately, pulling Jackson closer to her and tucking him into her side. "I love your dad, and I am _so _grateful for him. I love him so much, and he gave me you and Piper. I wouldn't know what to do without any of you."

"So is that why we never come to visit Grandpa?" Jackson asks next. "Because it makes you sad to come here?"

"Yes."

"And that's why you tell me and Piper to stay away from that blanket and that jacket in the closet, right?" He says, looking up at her. "Because they were Percy's stuff?"

Hearing him say Percy's name adds a whole new wave of hurt to this, but she's happy that she did this. Annabeth smiles slightly and ruffles his hair, "You're too smart for your own good."

Jackson runs a hand through his hair to fix it and smiles up at her. He says, "Does Dad know about him?"

"I was going to wait and let your dad tell you, but when we were in college, your dad was engaged to another woman. But she was on her way home from a visit with her dad in California, and her plane crashed. She didn't make it. We named your sister after her too," she explained.

Jackson was staring at her, "So you and Dad only got married because the people you really loved died?"

"No, of course not, baby," she says. "We love each other. It just sort of happened after we lost Percy and Piper. I didn't even know your dad back then; I met him in college. Ask your dad about it one day. He'll be able to tell you more about his side."

Jackson was quiet. He bent his head to take another sip from his milkshake. "So do you wish that Percy was still alive?"

Annabeth holds Jackson tighter against her side, "Of course I do, but listen to me, I wouldn't trade you and Piper and your dad for _anything, _do you understand? I loved Percy, and he still has a piece of my heart, but your dad gave me everything. I have you and Piper, and _our _life, okay?"

He nods, and he's quiet, like he's thinking all of this information over. Annabeth stares out at the lake, marveling about how it looks exactly the same.

"Percy's last name was Jackson, wasn't it?" Jackson asks.

She nods, "Yeah, I didn't want to name you Percy. Your dad suggested Jackson, and we joked that it made your initials the same as his."

He smiles at her, and his blonde hair and gray eyes have never looked so pretty.

"Mom?" He asks.

"Yeah?"

"Percy is buried here, right?"

She feels her throat tighten, "Yes."

"Can we go see him?"

Annabeth blinks back tears, nods, and presses a kiss to the top of his head.

Ω

The cemetery is about a thirty minute drive from the lake, and Annabeth drives back through the town that she grew up in. Annabeth points out her high school and a few other places that she used hang out at to Jackson as they pass them.

When they get there, Annabeth makes the familiar journey to his grave. Before she left for college, she spent a lot of time here, sitting by his headstone and reading out loud or just talking like she used to talk to him. Even after she left, she would always come back and visit when she was in town.

She leads Jackson through the cemetery, stopping when she recognizes his grave. She takes a deep breath before tip-toeing over to set her hand on the stone.

Annabeth doesn't say anything like she used to just because she doesn't want to scare Jackson. He's watching her with wide eyes, like he understands everything that's going on and knows that she wants to say something. He's so much like his dad.

She doesn't know what to do, but she jumps when she feels Jackson wrap his arm around her waist and lean against her.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he says quietly.

Her voice wobbles when she says, "Me too, baby."

They stand there together for a while before Jackson says, "Do you want me to wait in the car?"

She nods and presses the keys into his hands, "I'll be there in a few minutes."

Jackson nods again and walks back toward the car. When he's far enough away, Annabeth sinks to the ground and presses her head against his headstone.

"Percy," she murmurs. "That was my son, Jackson. I named him after you. I took him to meet your mom and sister today, and it just made me wonder what it would have been like if he was our son. I miss you like crazy."

She keeps talking for a while, updating him about Jason and their kids. The last time that she had been here was about three years ago during Thanksgiving. Her dad had talked her into coming here for the holidays, and Jason had entertained the kids long enough for her to slip away for a few hours. It was nice to be able to sit here and talk to him like he was actually there.

When she's finished, she presses her hand against his name printed on the stone. Then, she stands up and walks back toward the car where Jackson is waiting, breathing a small goodbye.

The wind ruffles her hair a second later, like he's answering her, and Annabeth smiles.

She climbs into the car behind the driver's seat and turns to Jackson. "Ready to go see Grandpa?"

He nods and buckles his seatbelt, adjusting the radio once Annabeth pulls back out onto the road.

Ω

They're back home a day before Jason and Piper get there, and they both stand outside when they see Jason's car pulling back into the driveway.

Jackson runs into Jason's arms, and Annabeth's daughter runs into her arms. Annabeth hugs Piper tightly, holding her against her body and closing her eyes. Annabeth isn't used to being away from her kids and Jason, and even that three day trip was too much for her.

Then, she feels Jason wrapping his arms around both of them, and she angles her head up to see him. He's smiling down at her, and she winds one of her hands up to his neck to pull him down for a quick kiss.

Piper and Jackson both start squealing for them to _quit, that's so gross! _Jason's laughing, and Annabeth is smiling so big that her face is starting to hurt.

Her kids wiggle out of their arms and dash inside, yelling about what they're going to watch on TV. Jason pulls her into the circle of his arms and kisses her again.

"Everything go okay?" He asks when he pulls back.

She nods, "Yeah, one day I want to take them both. How about you? Did she do okay?"

Jason nods too, "She was fine. She's curious about you though. I mentioned it in passing so don't be surprised when she asks you about him."

"Yeah, Jackson will too probably," Annabeth says, huddling against him.

He hums and holds on tighter.

"I missed you," Annabeth whispers.

"I missed you too," he whispers back.

Before either of them can say anything else, Jackson and Piper both lean out the door and yell about finding something for dinner. Annabeth sighs against Jason's chest, and he laughs as he presses a kiss to her forehead before jogging into the house.

The wind ruffles Annabeth's hair and ghosts over her face. She smiles as she walks inside.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Leave a review!**

**-SomethingMoreCreative**


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